ssImage version 1.0
An Image VCL allowing transparent areas of bitmaps

Soft Sector, Inc.
PO Box 81480
Cleveland OH 44181

See the document ORDER.TXT for ordering information.

Introduction
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This component is a descendant of TGraphicControl and encapsulates all of the functionality of the TImage component that ships with Delphi.  The added functionality comes in the ability to define areas of a bitmap as being transparent.  This functionality already exists for cursors and icons, but it was not present for bitmaps.  With ssImage, you can define a color in the bitmap to replace with a color of your choosing.  Its extremely simple to use, but also very useful.

About Soft Sector, Inc.
-----------------------
Soft Sector, Inc. (SSI) is a Cleveland, OH based provider of hardware and software solutions.  Our main language for development is Borland Delphi.  In the course of our application development, we have created a number of components and tools that would be useful to other developers.  We are in the process of packaging these components for retail distribution.

Contacting Soft Sector, Inc.
----------------------------
We can be contacted in a variety of ways:

US Mail:  Soft Sector, Inc., PO Box 81480, Cleveland, OH 44181 USA
E-Mail:  ssi@en.com
Phone/fax:  (216) 777-3612

Keep an eye out for our Web page, coming soon!

Installation
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You can install ssImage as you would any other component.  Specifically, follow these steps:

1.  Place all files that were contained in the .ZIP file into a directory (example:  \SSIMAGE)

2.  Go into Delphi and access the OPTIONS pulldown menu.  Then choose INSTALL COMPONENTS...

3.  Click on the ADD button.  Another dialog box will pop up.  Click on the BROWSE button.

4.  A file selection common dialog will pop up.  Select the directory where you put the ssImage files.  In the "List Files of Type" drop down, you should select "DCU" files.

5.  You will see "SSIMAGE.DCU" appear in the files list box.  Select it and click OK.

6.  Now click OK in the Install Components dialog box.  Delphis VCL will now recompile.  When its done, you should have a palette page named "Soft Sector".  On it will appear an icon for the ssImage component.

Thats all there is to it!  

Note that this restricted version of ssImage will only run while the Delphi IDE is running.  That means in order to include it in your applications, you must pay the registration fee!  See the file ORDER.TXT for more information on this extremely useful, yet affordable product.

New Properties 
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(As mentioned above, this component has all of the same properties, methods and events as the TImage component.  Listed here are only the new additions.)

BottomColor
Transparent
TransparentColor

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BottomColor property

Declaration
property BottomColor : TColor

Description
This is the color that you want to "bleed through" the bitmap.  In other words, this color will replace the color you specify in the TransparentColor property.  In most cases, BottomColor will be the background color of your form.  It can also be any of the Windows system colors, like clBtnFace for example.

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Transparent property

Declaration
property Transparent : boolean

Description
You set the Transparent property to True if you want the bitmap to be drawn replacing TransparentColor with BottomColor.  If Transparent is False, the bitmap will be drawn using the same method TImage uses.  

Note that setting Transparent to True is only meaningful if Picture is of type TBitmap.

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TransparentColor property

Declaration
property TransparentColor : TColor

Description
This is the color in your bitmap that you want replaced with BottomColor.  Obviously you want to make sure that this color is used only in areas in your bitmap that you really want replaced.

Future Enhancements
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This is version 1.0 of ssImage.  We currently do not have a long list of changes that we wish to make to this component.  However, if you have any suggestions, feel free to let us know!

Revision History
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03-24-96   Version 1.0
Initial public release



